Electric lamp



Rodel# A W. SAWY-ER.

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. lSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

'WILLIAM'sAwYEa CEY NEw Yonx, N. Y., AssIGNoE To EAsTEEN ELECTRIC MANUFACTURINGr COMPANY, on MIDEIJETowN, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC I Aivr.

" SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N235A59, dated December 14, 1880, Application nieu september 2o, Isso. (No moda.)

To all whom it 'may concern:

i Be it known that I',NVILLIAMSA fYER, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at New York, inthe county of New York and State of New York,ihave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Lamps; and I rdo hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art.4 to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this i specication.

My invention relates to electric lamps in which the workin g .parts are inclosed in a tube or globe lled with nitrogen gas and hermetically sealed; and it consists, essentially, in a spring' surrounding the electric conductingwire and automatically actuating a contact piece or nut, so that the metallic contact between the nut and contact-connectionot' the lamp will be insured if the lampshould be moved np or down onthe bracket,'or be accidentally turned or loosened on said bracket.

It further consistsin a chambered or recessed bracket for receiving anl insulating cup or receptacle containing the actuating-spring and the terminal of the conducting-wire.

Y It finally consists in details of construction that will be hereinafter more fully set forth in the specification, and pointed out in the drawings, in which- Figure l is a section (partly in elevation) of l `Iny improved lamp, showing the nut on the.

conducting-wire and the lamp-connection separated; Fig. 2, the same, showing the nut and lamp-connection in contact. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the insulating-cup.`

` 4.o Like letters of reference refer to like parts `in the several figures.

4Heretofore in electric lamps of this nature it has been diflculttoobtainr perfect lampconnections, especially when the lamp becomes 451 turned or accidentallyloosened on the bracket,

and in order-to remove thediftlculties before experienced I keep the contact-piece attached to the conducting-wire in constant and strong contact with the lamp-connection.

" 5o Intheaccompanyingdrawings,Arepresents a bracket, through which is carried an insulated flexible conducting-wire, E. The outer end ofthe bracket is bored out or chambered, so as to leave a shoulder at the bottom of the chamber. Within this chamber is placed a perforated insulating-cup, F. The exterior part ofthe end of the bracket-is screw-threaded for the reception of the lamp. The openingin the bracket-arm and insulating-cup is suiiiciently large to allow some play to the wire. 6o

Within the insulating-cup and around the conducting wire E is placed a stiff coiled spring, G. One end of the spring is secured lor rests on the base of the jacket, the opposite end being in contact with the washer or nut D, which is` screwed on the end of the conducting-wire, ormaybe secured to said wire in any other suitable manner. The spring Gr serves to keep the nut D in constant and perfect contact with theY lamp-connection, and serves to 7o give elasticity to the connecting-points; for if the lampis turned 011 the bracket there is space enough within the cup F for the spring and wire to-Inove, and the lower openingin theinsulating-cup is sufficiently large to allow ample play for the conducting-wire. Thus it will be seen that as the lamp is moved upward on the bracket the spring acts to force up the nut against the lamp-contact.

In the lamps heretofore constructed the 8o bracket and contacts are rigid, and the circuit is made by screwing down the lamp on the bracket until the contacts meet, and there is a complete circuit so long as the lamp is kept in'this position. If, however, the lamp be ac- 85 cidentally turned or loosened, a poor contact occurs, with the attendant results, such as a concentration of the current at the point of contact always produces. In the device here presented this breaking of the Contact, and 9o consequently of the circuit, is avoided, for, as before explained, the spring acts to keep the connections constantly in contact.

rPhe insulatingcup F, which may be of any suitable insnlatin g material, may extend slightly above the surface of the bracketchamber, so as to prevent any short-circuiting between the nut D and the bracket.

In order to secure the lamp from being unscrewed, a spring-catch on the bracket may roo engage with the base of the lamp and hold it securely in position; or a setscrew, H, may be used for that purpose.

The insulating-cup F may, if deemed necessary, be cemented to the sides of the chamber in the bracket. The wire E, nut D, and contact C lead to one side of the lamp, and the bracket A and base of lamp lead to the other side of the lamp.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In an electric lamp, the combination of the contact-piece of the base with a lower contact-piece actuated by a spring secured in an insulating-jacket within the lamp-bracket, whereby the contact between said contactpieces is constantly and automatically maintained, substantially as described.

2. The combination of an electriclamp with a bracket-support having a chamber to receive a perforated insulatingcup surrounding the conducting-wire, and a spring actuating one of the contact pieces, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with an electric lamp having a screw-threaded base, and a cbam bered bracketsupport screw-threaded to receive thc base of the lamp, of a perforated insulating-cnp, which rests in the chamber of the bracket, and adapted vto receive one end of the conducting-wire, and a spring actuating one of the contact-pieces of the lamp, substantially as described.

4. The insulating-cup F, seated iu a chamber of the bracket A, substantially as described.

5. The wire E, screw-threaded to receive a contact-nut, D, automatically actuated by a spring surrounding said wire, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the lamp-base, having a rigid contact-piece, with the bracket containing an insulatingjacket, and an automatically-movable contact within said jacket, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

7. In an electric lamp, the combination of the screw-threaded base, having` a rigid conf tact-piece, with a chambered bracket, an insulating-cup, and a movable contact-piece actuated by a spring inclosed in said cup, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof 1 ax my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WM. SAWYER. Witnesses:

LEONARD SAWYER, Taos. H. CALLAN. 

